Electric relay



s. s. sToLP y v ELECTRIC RELAY Filed JanQls, 192s @Houma Patented 7,1926.

sentier s. aromi, or ivran'srrnnn, entro, AssrGNoR To THR onto BRassCOMPANY, `or .niansninnn oirro, e connor-terroir or nnw JERsRY.

ELECTRIC RELAY.

Application filed January 1S, .1923. Serial No. 613,511.

My invention relates to electrically operated relays.

The object of my invention is to pro-vide a relay in which the openingof therelay or t-he equivalent element has a time factor in itsoperation.

It is very often desirable where relays are used to provide some meanswhereby the operation of the relay in opening or closing a circuit maybe retarded as relates to the opening or closing oi' some other circuit,and such lapse of time maybe quite accurate and dependable with respectto predetermined requirements. Therefore, l have devised a means forsecuring a time element in relay operation and also means for varyingand adjusting the time element in operation.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction7 combination andarrangement oi the various parts hereinafter fully described anddisclosed in the drawing.

In ,the drawing accompanying this speciiication:

Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation of my device showing the circuitclosing elements in an open position, and showing means for varying thetime element operation described later which may or may not form a partott the construction as desired.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. el. on the line 2-2 and shows thecontacting` elements in a closed position without the adjustingJrmechanism a, Z), c.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of Fig. 2 showing the device mounted upon aboard or other support.

Fig. el: is an end view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a modification of the two contact operating members showingmeans for varying the time element 'feature of my device.

Fig. 6 shows a modiiication later described here'm. Y l u ln thepreferred construction embodying my invention l employ a frame member 1preferably constructed oi magnetic Amaterial provided with threadedsockets 2 by rmeans of which the frame may be secured toa support.Secured to the frame 1 meansfof a threaded `engagement 3 is a magneticcorle l which is surrounded `with the coil @provided with leads 6 and 7by means o while the coil 5 may be 'connected'tovanapparatus to.receirean electric `current :for the operation of 4`the relay.-Pi-vntallysecured to .the frame 'be readily seen i'rom Figs. 1 and 2.To the other end of the arm 9 is secured a Contact element 13 adapted toengage with a cooperating contact element 14 by means ot which anelectric circuit may be closed when he elements 13 and 14 are inycontact. The Contact 13 is secured in a socket 15 by `means of a screwor pin 16 and the contact 14 is secured in a socket '17 by means of apin or screw 18. The socket 17 forms a part of the arm 19 which issecured to a member 29 by means of 'the hinge kpin 21. The member 2O maybe secured to the member 22 of the frame 1 by means of screws 23, but ininsulated relation yto the frame 2 2. The member is providedv with anadjusting screw 211 which engages the hinged arm 19 for the purpose otadjust-ing the distance between the contacts 13 and 14 and a spring 25maintains the arm 19 in contact with the screw 24. rhis arrangement ofthe contact 11i in connection with the pivotally mounted and springheldarm 19 permits of a better and more reliable contact between the,Vmembers 13 and 111 when in their closed position. Any well known meansmay be used for connecting' a conductor to the arm 9 and the arm 19 inorder to electrically connect the meinbers 13 and 14C to proper devices.Such leads may be connected to the screws 16 and 18 in the constructionas shown, providing such.

leads are suiiicientlyvflexible as not to effect the movements andoperation of the arms 9 and '19.

The operating arm 9 is provided with a boss 26 `which is permitted toengage with the .co-re 4c when the relay is in the closed position inwhich case there is a closed magnetic circuit through the trame' 1, thearm 9, the bossl2'6 and the' core 11, assall ofthese parts varepreferably made of magnetic `nia- .ere1, y,

lhe'control armklO is .provided with an aperture 27 through whichtheboss 26 may operate reelyand the upper tace'oi the.. arm 10immediately surrounding the' apertiire has secured to it a disc 28 ofnon-magnetic material. This non-magnetic material is interposed betweenthe operating arm 10 and the core 4, and therefore, prevents the arm 10from sticking to the core 4 due to residual magnetism, all of which iswell known in the art. There is formed practically a closed circuitthrough the frame 1, ^the arm 10 and the core 4, and the thickness ofthe disc 28 determines the magnetic gap in this circuit, and alsocontrols or eiiqects the time that the control arm l0 is held in anupward position after the current in the coil 5 has been cut oil". rllhethinner the disc 28 the longer the control arm 10 will be held in anupward position after the current has been cut oil ot the coil 5 for thereason that the residual magnetism in the core 4 will have a greaterattractive eitect upon the control arm 10. The use of a `dise 28,however, does not permit of varying the time element in which theoperating` arm 1() is held in an upward position and, therefore, I haveshown a modification in Fig. 5 by means of which the control arm 1G mayhave its operation varied as desired. This modiiication comprises anadjusting screw 29 threadedly engaging` the control arm 10 and arrangedto contact with the core 4. The screw 29 is preferably made ot anon-magnetic material and therefore in itself cannot adhere to the core4, and the air gap 30 between the members 4 and 10 can be easilyadjusted thereby effecting the time element operation of the operatingmember 10. rlhe member 10 is provided with means 31 to engage the arm 9as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a. modilication for varying the time elementoperation of the arm 10 in that I provide in connection with the arm 10an arm fr so arranged as not to interfere with the operation of tho arm9 and having a threaded arm 7) upon which is threadably mounted a weightc. By moving the weight c forward or back, the center of gravity aboutthe Din 8 is varied, and the weight to be held in an upward position bythe residual magnetism in the core 4 can therefore be varied, which inturn will vary the time that the control arm 10 is held in an upwardposition by the residual magnetism after the current has been cut olii"from the coil 5.

in the operation of my device the parts will presume to originally restin the position showny in ig 1 and gno current is low ing through thecoil 5t lf eur-rent is now sent through the coil 5 the core 4 will bemagnetized, as is well known, and the magnetie flux set up will attractboth the arms 9 and 10. The arm 9 will be in contact with the core 4through the boss 2G and the arm 10 will be held close to, but out ofactual contact with the core 4 by the non-magnetic disc 2S. The contactsi3 and 14 will now be held in engagement and the spring 25 will assure apositive engagement and at the same time remove the shock between thecontacts 13 and 14, and the other parts upon their engagement, whichwould not be the case under the blow of the contact 13 it the contact 14were rigidly held.

It the current is now cut oli ot coil 5 as by opening the circuitthereto or short-circuiting the same, there will be left a certainamount of residual magnetism depending upon certain well known factors,and this residual magnetism will continue to attract and hol-d the arm 9in an upward position and in engagement with the core 4. In time,however, this residual magnetism will weaken and the arm 9 will drop tothe open position, but it is well known that this time element or lag inthe operation of the arm 9 is not dependable as to its unito mity ofaction. Also the residual magnetism` will be so strong as to retain thearm 9 in a closed position much longer than is desired.

Therefore, l employ the control arm l0 so arranged as to mechanicallyengage with the arm 9 through the end portion 31 of the arm 10.

It is well known that the non-magnetic disc 28 rmaintaining the magneticarm l() from the magnetic core 4 thereby providing the equivalent of anair space between these members, that the residual magnetism in the core4 will have very little or practically no perceptible effect inretaining the arm i0 in its upward or closed position and therefore itsoperation is more reliable, in that the time lag between its dropping oropening and the cutting oil' ot the current in the coil 5 is practicallynil, but is practically constant during diilierent operations. Il I wereto apply a non-magnetic element to the engaging tace of the boss 236then the arm 9 would act in the saine manner as just described withrespect to the arm 10, but 'this construction would, like in the case ofarm 10, give practically no time lag bctween the opening ot the contacts13 and 14 and the cutting oli oit the current in the coil 5.'llherefore, l utilize the prolonged holding` effect yof the residualmagnetism upon. the arm 9 due to their direct Contact, and theelimination oi' the holding eilect of the residual magnetism upon thearm 10 after the current has been cut ott" from the coil 5.

It will be readily understood that arm 9 is in engagement with the corethe arm 19 held in an upward or closed posit-ion, and that if thecurrent is cut of the coil 5 that the arm 9 will still be hel-d in anupward or closed position after the current has been cut oit', and itthe arm 10 drops practically immediately due to the residual magnetismhaving no holding effect upon the arm 10, that the arm `l0 will llodropped by the force of ,gravity and strike the'arm 9 lthereby.causingthe arm 9 v,to drop by the torce 'of gravity and the time that the army9 is held in a closed kpositio'i'i Iatt-er the current is cut off tromthe coil 5 will be the time in which the part 3l ot the arm l() istraveling downward until it strikes the arm 9.

It will be quite apparent that with the modilication shown in Fig. 5that with a given construction the time lag in the operation of the arml() and hence the arm 9 can be varied. lt will also be apparent thatwith the modification shown by the dot-ted lines in F l that the same istrue. lt will also be evident that with a given construction as shown inF ig. 2, that iii' the distance between the points on the arms 9 and 10,which engage, is varied that the time lag in the opening of the contacts13 and 1awill. also be varied.

In Fig. 6 is shown a means of adjusting the. contact distance betweenthe arms 9 and l0 by means ot which the lag in operation of the arm 9may be adjusted. This modilication consists of inserting an adjustingscrew 32, preferably of non-magnetic metal, in the arm 9, one end ofwhich will engage with the arm 10, and that by adjusting the screw 32,the contact distance will be varied between 31 and 9 and between 10 and4t.

It will be seen that I have made the operation of the arms 9 and 10independent of dash pots, springs, etc. which are variable as to theirreliability and prefer to depend only upon such means as are practicallyunchangeable for the time lag operation o1" the arm 9. In tact, the onlyvariable element is possibly the residual magnetism in the core 4e andthis variation would be due almost eX- clusively to a variation in thecurrent flowing in the coil 5 from time to time. It, however, the arms 9and 10 are so positioned. that they are not movable away from the core tby gravity then it may be necessary to use springs to move the arms 9and l0 to the open position.

As my invention may be applied to'apparatus intended for various usesthere are naturally various constructions, combinations and arrangementsot parts necessary and such modifications will be apparent to oneskilled in the art and therefore I do not wish to be limited other thanby my claims.

l claim:

l. An electrically operated relay comprising in combination, a frame,current controlled magnetic means secured toV the frame, an armaturepivotally mounted on the frame and moved upon its pivotal point by themagnetic means to make or break engagement with a circuit closingcontact and held in said position by the residual magnetism in themagnetic means and gravity controlled means adapted to impinge upon the'armatu after the 'current is cut o'lf from the magneticme'ans apredetermined time to 'reease the armature,"byimpact, from the influenceof the residual magnetism and m'ove'it from its retained position.

2. An electrically operated relay comprising in combination, a trame,current controlled magnetic means secured to the trame, a pair ofarmatures pivotally mounted on the trame and moved in one direction onlyabout a common pivotal point by the magnetic means when energized, onearmature provided with means to make or break engagement with a circuitcontrolling Contact and to engage the magnetic means and be held inengagement with the contact by the residual magnetism in the magneticmeans after current is cut otl3 from the magnetic means, the otherarmature arranged to engage the magnetic means when moved to oneposition and to engage the other armature b v impact when moved to theopposite position, means interposed between the second armature and themagnetic means to prevent its being retained in engagement with the l"magnetic means by the residual magnetism and means to cause the secondarmature to impinge upon the first armature to release it from theholding influence of the residual magnetism in the magnetic means.

3. An electrically operated relay comprising a current controlledmagnetic means, an armature of magnetic material pivotally mounted tomove into engagement with the magnetic means when the magnetic means isenergized and be held in engagement therewith by the residual magnetismin the magnetic means after the controlling current is cut off themagnetic means, and means normally engaging the armature and movable bythe magnetic means out ot engagement with the armature when the magneticmeans is energized and movable by gravity into engagement with thearmature ai'tcr a predetermined lapse of time after the controllingcurrent is cut olf the magnetic means to move the armature out ofengagement with the magnetic means.

4. An electrically operated relay comprising in combination, a currentcontrolled magnetic means, a pair of elements operable by gravity in onedirection and movable simultaneously in the other direction under theinfluence of the magnetic means and movable in the opposite direction atdifferent times after the controlling current in the magnetic means iscut oli", the element first operating impinging upon the other elementafter a lapse ot predetermined time to move it in said direction.

An electrically operated relay comprising in combination, a currentcontrolled magnetic means, a pair oit armatures each movable to twopositions. both movable simultaneously to one position only by the lll)with the armature acting first and cooperating with the magnetic meansto vary the difference in the time of operation of the two 10 armatures.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

SAMUEL S. STOLP.

